Riot Boy
by Cards
Summary: David Gordo Gordon has had his life change. He has a beautiful girlfriend and a bestfriend who understands him. Now how to have the two get a long? rated for drug use abuse and sexual content Finished
1. Chapter 1

There were few things David Gordon hated, one was when he forgot to take paper out of his pockets before putting his jeans in the wash. The other was hypocrisy. His family was hypocritical, doctors who smoked. Well his parents had smoked, now just his dad did. David sighed, looking around his father's apartment.

For a peace and love non-materialistic woman his mother sure had been relentless in her pursuit of the house, home practice and money. Everything except her son. The divorce had been quiet and painful. As far as David could see there wasn't any reason for it, his parents had never fought, or he had never known about it. There was a high possibility that they had. The Gordon family was good at keeping secrets, like the divorce.

David smirked the apartment was messy, in an almost comical and TV way. There were old pizza boxes around all over the place. He paused, looking at the microwave, his TV dinner already in. His father stormed in.

"You would think she would give it a rest" He muttered turning to his son.

"What did you do to her?" The response was a cuff upside the head causing David to see bursts of red. The answer, apparently. David had wondered if his father had hit his mother. They were very different. His mother was a down to earth hippie from money, his father had fought his way up to a doctorate, climbing up from horrible roots. His dad never talked about his past instead trying to lodge himself in the present and submerse himself into his new family.

Apparently he still had anger management issues. David shook his head lightly, the spots clearing from his vision. "Why do you take it?" His father asked, "You're eighteen, fight back"

David silently took his meal into the living room. The phone rang "Hey Gordo!" Lizzie's sweet voice rang out, David smiled at the use of the old nickname.

"Hey" he grinned "how are ya?" He smiled imagining Lizzie, in her large house, hair up loosely and laying back on her bed.

"Fine, I have a ton of bio homework though, and Matt is totally being annoying about his new girlfriend, dragging her around like she's a trophy." He could hear her smile in her voice "And my dad is totally flipping out, he's threatening to ground me, guess what for?"

David grinned "I have no idea"

"Not cleaning my room! Like I'm five or something!"

David grinned, he didn't ever begrudge Lizzie for her trivial problems, in fact normally they helped him. He knew Lizzie better then anyone else, even Miranda, who had been dragged to Mexico earlier that year. Her mother panicking that America was ruining her good daughter. Miranda's choice to come out had apparently come at just the wrong time.

"That stinks" He smiled, cradling the phone between his shoulder and ear. "You heard from Miranda?"

"She has a girlfriend in Mexico." Lizzie smiled.

"She told her mother?"

"I hope not where else would her mother send her?"

"Military school?" David suggested.

"Gordo!" Lizzie laughed. "So how's your new school?" she asked, her voice turning slightly more serious. "You getting enough challenge? Why did your dad have to move so close to the end of the year? Couldn't you have lived with your mom for that length of time?"

"Its fine Lizzie, I'm in all honors classes" He grinned, honors was the only challenge and barely even a challenge for him. His teachers just gave him an advanced text book and expected him to finish with that. "Its great, really independent"

"Kinda like college" Lizzie asked hopefully.

"Yeah." David smiled, he saw his dad open up the kitchen drawer. "Um I gotta go, see you this weekend?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah, See ya Gordo" She hung up the phone.

"Who you talking to?" His dad asked, calling in from the kitchen.

"Lizzie"

"Why she still talk to you?"

"We're dating Dad." David said, leaning back into the old couch. "I'm gunna go visit her this weekend"

"No you aren't"

"Yes I am" David said eating calmly.

"No" His father said in a cool level voice. David sat, eating the over cooked vegetables. He paused looking at his father, seeing his own blue eyes looking back at him he worried.

"Yes" He said standing up and putting the tray in the trash. In a spilt second he felt his father's fist across his cheek.

"You little wimp fight back."

"I don't want you to justify this" David said climbing out the window onto the fire escape. He sighed reaching into his pocket and fingering the weed and pipe he stole from his dad.

There were a couple of other kids hanging out on the old fire escape. It was the unofficial safe spot of the building, no adults came out. Not because of a "code" or anything, but because the owners of the building hadn't kept up with the safety codes, and the structures were far from sound. The parents of the children who fled weren't that self destructive.

David sighed, leaning against the building he heard the almost exact opposite of Lizzie call down to him. "Gordon" She said climbing down the ladder, settling on his platform. "You score some?" She smiled

"Chris" He whispered to her, looking at her, calmly, sea blue eyes meeting her dark brown ones.

"Ouch" She smiled looking at his face.

"I'm gunna visit Lizzie this weekend." He said softly.

"Is that a good idea?" Chris asked, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders. "Its just gunna make it hurt more"

"Why do you think its gunna end?" He asked packing the drug in.

"Because she doesn't live here" Chris said, honestly, leaning in and lighting the pipe. "She's not like us".

"Yeah well neither was I until I moved here" He said sucking in a lungful of smoke.

"But now you're here, and its hard to go back" she said. he took a moment to reflect on how different Chris and Lizzie were. Lizzie He had known most if not all of his life, they had shared most experiences, first kiss in kindergarten, first time when they were 16, the subsequent times. And as many years as they were old of life together. But now they were different. And that's where Chris came in. The two of them had a different realm of experience together. First high, first time he got hit, the fire escapes. The pipe he passed to her.

Lizzie was adorable, she was his saving grace, the thing he could go to when he didn't want this world around him. Chris was there with him. Listening to my father hit him. Knowing the hopelessness. She was there to help him survive till the weekends. Where she was alone again.

He looked over at her. His eyes searching hers. They'd kissed a few times when they were high. No romance, not possibility of such. Instead they were looking, desperately for a connection in their hell.

"I'm gunna call Lizzie and see if you can come with me" He said pushing a curl out of his eyes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing really. Seeing as Chris is... actually I own Chris, whose name is short for Christina.

Author's notes: I'm sorry if I offend anyone. But this seemed more plausible then a lot of abusive lizzie's parents stories. I am not trying to make Lizzie sound dumb. She isn't she just is shallow (And her complaints are from my life) But here we go. Please review with your opinion.


	2. Chapter 2

One incredibly uncomfortable phone call later David climbed up to Chris' window, a little buzzed still. "You're coming" He said with a definite nod.

"When you're sober you'll regret this" Chris said. "I just know it."

"why would I regret getting you two together" He said.

"Because you probably didn't mention my name was Christina" Chris pointed out.

"But its Chris" he said then closed his eyes "Shit, I didn't."

"But I'm willing to get into suburbia for the weekend, and now you're trapped into taking me" She grinned.

"And Lizzie's parents are out of town!" He cursed. "She probably is gunna try and set you up on a double with one of her friends!"

"Well I'll be happy to watch tv for the weekend. My mom sold ours this week." Chris grinned leaning out the window and kissing David on the cheek. "thanks" She said "I'll bring some dope."

"Um no thanks" He said, Chris raised an eyebrow. "Lizzie doesn't do drugs." He said.

"Does she know you do?"

"No. And I don't want her to know. It's a little weird."

"Good luck man" she laughed kissing his cheek again. "I'll not bring dope, or booze, I assume." She laughed as he nodded "And I'll dress as un-sexy as possible." They both laugh, though Chris could dress like many of the other girls, sexual and provocative. She never has, her wardrobe comprises of her older brother's shirts and her sisters old pants.

"You're a sweetie" David smiles, "you really are" he grins, gently stroking her face, fingers moving across an old scar.

"You're driving me right?

"Of course" David grinned "You and Lizzie will get along just fine."

"Famous Last words David. Famous last words" She grinned pushing him across the window, and laughing. He grinned ducking into his own window, crawling out into the living room. His father looking up at him accusingly.

"You stole it, you little" He bit his lip.

"Stole what?" David asked, not realizing what his father was talking about.

"My stash!" His father stood up, a bottle of beer at his feet.

"No!" David said, hoping that the lingering scent of the pot was off him.

"You little rotten" He grumbled, advancing. "You don't deserve Lizzie. You keep her for what? A good fuck on the weekends?"

"No!" David said, for the first time his father had chosen something he genuinely cared about. Lizzie. He couldn't be dammed to do anything when his father insulted his mother, his intelligence, his sexuality. But, Lizzie, Lizzie deserved to be kept out of all that. She deserved out of this whole complex thing that she didn't even know existed.

"Then why do you go and rendezvous with that girl from upstairs? An innate desire to create a bond with someone whose like you? A need for a girl who doesn't academically stunt you?" David reflected that the most annoying thing about his father was that no matter how trashed or stoned he got. He still did have a doctorate.

"Because she's nice" David responded in stupidity.

"Nice?" He shook his head "She just wants to use you. And once Lizzie finds out, you won't have either of them."

David stood up walking back to the Window, his dad pulled him back. David turned "What?"

"Don't steal my stuff!" His father said punching his son across the face again.

"Fine!" He muttered turning his head, holding his eye and heading to the fridge. "You know, you could have waited until after the weekend."

"You won't tell."

"That's besides the point." He sighed; his father could go on for hours about how battered women were not able to leave their husbands. And the reasons why David's masculinity would not allow him to admit to battering. He had heard all this before it would ever be an issue. But he occasionally did write small memos to see if it was true. He compared the normal ideas on masculinity with how he felt about his own masculinity.

He had come to the idea that he didn't mind that anyone would think him a victim, asides Lizzie. He wanted Lizzie to think him strong. He'd always been the calm rational one in their relationship. Even when they weren't dating he was the one who people came to for rational ideas.

The idea that Lizzie would judge him for it. For something which wasn't his fault. He was only seventeen. And he knew he could leave. But it wouldn't be worth it. If his mom didn't want him then why force himself upon her? He didn't want to be the problem child. So he just stayed.

Friday couldn't come fast enough, David sighed. Preparing to turn back into Gordo and praying that Chris wouldn't do anything stupid. She wasn't dumb. But she'd been known to do some things that weren't the smartest. On Friday morning he grinned meeting her at the bottom of the building. Both had cut class for the day. One of the major perks of changing schools was that this one only had a record. They didn't know that his grades were normally from sitting in class. His teachers now were happy to just get him out of the room.

Chris smiled holding her duffle bag. "Chris, Oh my, you look different" David said, she wasn't wearing her brother's shirt. Instead it looked like one of her sister's.

"Yeah, my sister got a hold of me last night. Said this was how girls in the burbs dressed." Chris laughed. "I find it funny that they try to dress like those of us from the hood. Who have to borrow from our siblings to look like this." She grinned.

"You still take dance lessons?" He asked. "Lizzie really likes to go to clubs, maybe the three of us"

"Yeah that'd be fun. But lets go" She slid into the car, her arms folded uncomfortably over her chest, not used to wearing anything like the tight shirt with out an old flannel shirt of her brother's over it. Her duffle was placed on her lap. She looked David over "What happened?" She asked calmly, motioning to his face.

"Dad found out I stole his stash" he said.

"David, you should go to live with your mom" Chris said softly. "If I had an option you know I'd leave" she said. "You deserve to get out."

"My mom didn't want me."

"Your mother must have known"

"Chris just drop it."

"Fine" That was why the two got along so well. No talking past what either wanted to say. "So, Lizzie's parents are…"

"Sam and Jo" he said carefully "and her little brother is Matt." He looked over at her "But her parents aren't gunna be around. They trust me" He said, emphasizing the word trust. "So please when we meet them don't say anything stupid. Don't do anything stupid"

"David! I'm not five!" Chris said "I can behave properly."

"I know" he sighed turning to her. "And please don't bring up the Gordo/David thing"

"Which do you want to be called?" Chris' voice was short, almost sharp. Her arms crossed against her chest had become more angular then protecting.

"I don't know!" David yelled. "Lizzie's gunna call me Gordo, and so will my mom if we see her!"

"Fine, but you're David to me" Chris said. "And please introduce me as Chris not Christina" She said turning her face away from him.

"Kay" David sighed, leaning back. Perhaps she'd been right. This whole thing seemed a lot easier when he was stoned. He had imagined Chris hanging out with him and Lizzie, the three of them hitting Hillridge and the popular people by storm. A final f u if you will to them. Maybe later Lizzie spending a day with him and Chris in the City. He didn't see Chris being uncomfortable the closer they got to the near by suburb. He didn't imagine that she wouldn't take to the idea like a otter to water.

He touched his cheek lightly. He'd hoped the swelling would go down. One of the major perks about his school was that no one asked. They assumed you got it on one of a million places. One was the truth. They would just choose which one for you. Perhaps making up an excuse as they went along with their own life and problems.

Chris had brought up a good point. Why had his mom left him with his dad. He didn't think, really that his father had hit her. She might have been hypocritical but she wouldn't send him off into the world with an abusive father. His father had never hit him before in his life. His mother had never had bruises.

David gripped the wheel tighter. He heard Chris sigh as they passed one of the near by suburbs. He looked over and for a second saw the girl who she had been. Her blonde hair fell into her dark brown eyes, she looked small in the shirt that wasn't right for her. "Chris?" He said softly, hand moving to her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just memories." She said looking back at him and smiling slightly.

He grinned pulling off the free way and going the familiar path of his youth, returning to Hillridge.

Chris smiled over at him, leaning over and kissing his cheek lightly. "This will be fine" She said.

Author's Notes: Yay! I got one review. I'm gunna just continue this as I see it needs to be. Please feel free to Review with critisism. What do you think about Chris? David, Lizzie, David's dad? The story in general? tell me!


	3. Chapter 3

When David pulled into Hillridge he expected Chris to get even more depressed. Instead she smiled, relaxing even bopping her head to the music that had been half heartedly playing in the background through the semi broken speakers in David's car. It wasn't like she became a completely different person, but there was something different about her. Even though she looked almost identical to the girl who had gotten into his car while they cut first English and now had progressed to both History and Math, she seemed a little more confidant. Her arms fell from protecting her chest, and she had relaxed into the seat.

David took this as a good sign, maybe she would fit in and her and Lizzie would be best friends for ever, and he could recreate part of the world he left before all this turned into shit. Or maybe she'd gotten high while they were at that rest stop and the world was still shit.

As they pulled into Lizzie's house Jo and Sam were still waiting to see David again.

"Gordo!" They smiled, Jo waved merrily. "How are you?"

"Fine Mr. And Mrs. McGuire." David said, smiling like he had when he was thirteen.

"Staying for the weekend?" Sam asked "Well be responsible."

"Oh Sam we don't have to worry about that, This is Gordo!" Jo smiled "Lizzie said you were bringing a friend?"

"Yeah, Chris" He smiled as Chris got out of the car. She'd obviously been rummaging through her bag for one of her brother's shirts and thrown it on. The tight lycra shirt her sister had forced on her was covered by a loose white shirt, her jeans looked more laid back with the addition of this shirt.

"Pleasure to meet you" She smiled. And David hoped to hell that she wasn't stoned.

"Is Chris short for Christina?" Jo asked smiling.

"Yeah, it can be confusing sometimes." She grinned "I hope that it isn't a problem, My family's been kinda crazy lately so David suggested I come up here and meet Lizzie, I've heard so much about her!"

Jo smiled "I understand completely, the same type of thing has happened to me. Although Lizzie will be quite disappointed to not be able to hook up one of her friends with you." Since seeing Chris get out of the car Sam had been watching David carefully, trying to see if that was the reason he'd brought this girl. While he liked the boy, and trusted him, he worried about his daughter's feelings.

Lizzie had seen Gordo pull in and had run about, fixing her outfit, and her hair, now she ran down the stairs opened the door and yelled "Gordo!" Jo and Sam took the distraction to leave the two alone. They maneuvered around Gordo's car and into the road, leaving for their mini vacation.

Lizzie was hugging Gordo, her golden blonde hair resting on his shoulder. "Gordo, I missed you so much" She whispered into his ear.

David was smiling hugging her back, pulling her closer to him. "Missed you too" He smiled kissing her gently. He smelled her hair for a second, closing his eyes and envisioning that everything was like it had been prior to the divorce. Lizzie pulled away first, "So where is Chris?" She asked. "Kate really wants to meet him."

David laughed lightly "Well, Chris is sitting on my car, and I think we had a minor miscommunication" He smiled.

Lizzie turned and saw Chris, who waved to her, smiling brightly.

"Gordo!" She said in a way that immediately reminded David of middle school. "Chris is a girl!"

"Yes, her name is Christina, and she lives in the apartment above mine."

"Gordo!" She said sharply "Why didn't you tell me!"

"Chris is just a friend, and her mom's been flipping out over her sister" That was true. The day before they had left, Chris' sister had announced she was pregnant, and that she wasn't marrying the father. Chris' mother who was normally just a druggie, had flipped out. This also made Chris more eager to escape to the suburbs.

"I wish you had told me" Lizzie said backing up and looking into his face. "Oh god! What happened to your eye?"

"Baseball, in Gym, you know how hopeless I am at the sport" David laughed, mentally cursing his stupid pride and ego.

Chris had moved from the hood of the car to grab her stuff. She walked over to Lizzie and smiled "Hey, I'm Chris" She stuck out her hand, smiling.

"Lizzie" Lizzie replied. "Um, I kinda thought you were a guy, and so I kinda set you up with one of my friends…" She said playing with a lock of her hair and blushing.

"Well, I'm sure she's nice. But I don't swing that way." Chris smiled "So, you two go out and hang with her, and I'll just stay and watch TV."

Lizzie smiled uneasily. She didn't know why Gordo had wanted to bring this girl, but she guessed that family reasons were enough. She hardly had anything to complain about and her little brother still made her want to run away from home. A nagging thought at the back of her mind said that Chris was the reason that Gordo didn't want her visiting.

Chris just smiled, unsure what to say, or do. "So, where am I sleeping?"

"Uh, couch okay?" She was going to give Chris the guest room. But now she wanted to make sure that Gordo couldn't sneak off to see her.

"Yeah couch is fine" Chris said. "David said you liked to dance, maybe we could all hit a club tonight or something?"

Lizzie laughed "There are like no clubs here! There's a kegger at Ethan's we could check out."

David gulped, things were not going as he had planned them at all. "Lizzie lets talk about that later.

"You and me Gordo, we have to talk" Lizzie said with an edge to her voice. Gordo was remembering how Lizzie could get when she wasn't being all cute.

"Okay, Chris wanna go watch some TV or something?"

"David, I'm not an idiot. You two talk, and I'll go do something."

Disclaimer: Me no own

Author's notes: Okay so I wrote a new chapter. Mainly because on a day I was really down, Slightly Obsessed left me a bunch of reviews for this. So I felt so good that I went home and intended to write more. Then I got a huge ass assignment. So I said the first thing I'll do when I get some spare time is to write chapter three. I did. Now I have to wait to get the net. So I wrote it, and now there's three chapters of this.


	4. Chapter 4

Lizzie didn't waste time; within ten minutes she had pulled Gordo into the dining room while Chris patiently watched TV.

"Gordo, why did you bring her?" Lizzie asked, then stopped her self "No I don't care why you brought her. But why didn't you tell me Chris was a girl!"

David didn't know what to say. Because what could he say "I'm sorry Lizzie when I called and asked I was baked, and it kinda slipped my mind after because my dad smacked me around for stealing and smoking his weed. I love you!" So he made shit up.

"Well your mom introduces herself as Jo, and anyone who knows your mom knows her name is Josephine but she prefers Jo. I just know Chris really well."

"Gordo, you've only been there for six months"

"People in desperate situations bond in instants" David blinked. He had not just said that.

"Gordo! You just moved to LA." She pointed out. "Its not like you're in the ghetto"

Actually it was, and David was just about to argue that point, when he realized what Lizzie was getting at.

"Lizzie, there is no way that Chris could ever replace you" He said hugging her. "Chris is like Miranda. A completely platonic friend." He smiled, smelling Lizzie's hair letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "I love you in a way I've never loved anyone else in my life"

Lizzie hugged him tightly "Oh Gordo" She cried out. "I was so scared when she got out!" She gripped him tighter "I thought you'd come to dump me and then go to your mom's!" She wrapped her fists into his shirt "I mean she's there and I'm here! And she's from LA!"

"Chris is my friend" He smiled kissing the side of her head. One of the reasons he loved Lizzie so much was how worked up she got over problems. Sure it could get annoying, and had been the cause of most of their fights. But it was horribly reassuring at the moment. What was also reassuring was that he had understood why Lizzie was getting so worked up. Recently when they had a fight over the phone and he stormed off to the fire escape where Chris had been able to tell him what the issue was in a few seconds.

He used to be able to calm her down in seconds, almost as if he could read her mind. What had really started to scare him was when he realized that he and Chris were doing the same thing.

Lizzie kissed him sweetly. "Kate's gunna be really mad," She laughed.

"When's Ethan's Kegger?" He asked smiling.

"I can't believe you want to go" Lizzie smiled.

"Well I figure its one last chance to show them up."

"At what Gordo! All they do is drink and get high, you used to lecture me about going to them!"

"And Dance" He smiled. "Anyway, if Kate is single so is Ethan right?"

"Yeah"

"Maybe Chris wouldn't mind playing with his gorgeous head of hair" He joked.

"Gordo!" She laughed, turning slowly back into happy Lizzie who was okay with Gordo having female friends who she didn't know.

Chris was relaxing and watching the Disney channel, a habit that Gordo knew meant she was worried. As she saw the two she sat up.

"I really didn't think it would be an issue, and I can just lay low all weekend," She said hurriedly.

"Hey its no big deal" Lizzie smiled walking over and sitting next to her "I'm Lizzie"

"David talks about you all the time" She smiled, "the first couple of weeks all he talked about was what you'd think of this or that" It was true, after he had gotten to know Chris all he'd talked about was Lizzie.

"He's never really mentioned you" Lizzie said.

"I'm just a friend." Chris smiled. As a brief silence descended the group could hear Lizzie making up her opinion of the girl, judging by the smile on her face Chris was deemed all right.

"There's a party tonight at my friend Ethan's house, you think we should check it out?"

"Sure" Both David and Chris chimed in. All three laughed uncomfortably.

"I'm gunna order Pizza, my parents left me some money" Lizzie said "I'll get a cheese and a" She motioned to Chris to say what she wanted.

"Cheese here too"

"Listen, why don't you use the guest room" Lizzie said. "Its probably more comfortable then the bed."

"Oh I thought David was gunna use the guest room," Chris said teasing him. "Poor little virginal soul"

David glared at her, she was either mocking him or taking it too far.

Lizzie laughed as well. "I don't expect him to drive this far just to spend time with me!" She laughed going off to order the pizza.

"I'm beginning to think that bringing together two of the mock Gordo club members wasn't a good idea," he muttered sitting on the couch.

"Aww cheer up" She smiled pinching his cheek. "I think me and Lizzie are gunna get along just fine. So tell me about this Ethan guy."

"Well he has gorgeous hair, apparently, not that I care or anything. And isn't to smart."

"But he's amazing looking!" Lizzie said walking back into the room her cell phone in hand. "And he's such a good kisser!"

"You said you never kissed him!"

"It was spin the bottle Gordo!" She said, "It hardly counts!"

"It counts if you can remember he was a good kisser!"

"Anyway" Lizzie brushed him off, sitting on his lap. Gordo smiled perching his head on her shoulder. "Him an my friend Kate"

"You really are friends with Kate now!"

"With you and Miranda gone I had to make new friends!"

"Tell me about Ethan!"

"Okay well him and Kate, she's who I was going to set you up with if you were a guy. Well him and Kate have this insane on again off again relationship where they cheat on each other and right now their off and so I was gunna try and set you up with him." Lizzie said in one continuous breath.

"And he's dumb" Gordo added. "Not that IQ is a requirement for you Chris"

"Shut up!" She said.

The three continued happy banter, sharing each other's stories and explaining inside jokes. Over pizza Chris and Lizzie exchanged embarrassing Gordo stories. During which Gordo would interject with what really happened.

Author's notes: Wee! I finished chapter 4! I'm so happy with myself! And yes for who ever asked. There is a correlation between Riot boy and the Good Charlotte song Riot Girl. Nothing plot wise, but I was listening to that song when I had to title this and so I decided that Riot Boy was a good title. Woot! Oh and yes, I took Chris' name from it. But only becasue I suck at naming charachters.

Also! I have chapter Five all written! (Aren't I amazing? I'm ahead of the game) And I hope to update this perhaps every wednesday, depends on how the story goes. But I'm writing a ton of it in advance so I can update more regularily. Woot!  



	5. Chapter 5

The decision to go to the kegger was unanimous. And Lizzie loved the fact that Gordo had loosened up enough to want to go to what he had once called "A pathetic attempt of the upper middle class' youth to create a situation mimicking what they see on MTV and in the movies, where the only point was to get drunk and sleep around." Chris was hoping that she would be able to get at least a little drunk with out bringing David's second life into question. And Gordo was hoping no one would pass him a joint because he didn't know if he would be able to say no.

Lizzie of course dragged Chris up into her room with the excuse of "You couldn't possibly of brought the right clothes for this" and she was right. Chris had brought an extra pair of jeans and a couple shirts. Lizzie's wardrobe on the other hand seemed able to accommodate anything. Chris stood and marveled at the huge closed full of clothes. And while Lizzie wasn't the neatest person her closet was so organized that Chris was astounded.

Lizzie was looking the girl over. Thinner then her, but not so much that they couldn't wear the same sizes, same basic colouring, though Chris had tanner skin. Lizzie's hazel eyes inspected the other girl in her boyfriend's life and was almost terrified to realize that they looked so similar. Chris did have a different shaped face, more triangular then Lizzie's still childishly round one. And Chris had more scars on her body, and was less certain of her body then Lizzie. She observed how Chris hid almost in the loose shirts she wore, where as Lizzie wore bright colours to draw attention to herself. Lizzie had always felt stupid compared to Gordo, and Miranda, whose academic and artistic excellence had always left her in the dust. With that one exception of Rhythmic gymnastics, but Lizzie never gave her self enough credit.

She could see that Chris was in almost the same position as Lizzie was. They were both meeting the other girl in Gordo's life. Lizzie thought about how much she had changed since Gordo left, she was friends with Kate and Ethan, not just the quasi friendships but real friends. Ethan wasn't as stupid as he acted, he had a really bad life and his way of dealing was acting stupid. He'd told her all this during one of his keggers where he was hiding from the party and knew Lizzie would listen. So she assumed that Gordo had changed. Something had certainly changed. Chris called him David. Something that only his grandmother did.

As Lizzie dressed Chris up for the party, sadly noting that her clothing was a little loose on the girl. She asked her "Why do you call Gordo David?" She smiled.

"Well the first day of class he comes in and introduces himself as Gordo, and the Latino kids laughed at him."

Lizzie smiled, she remembered that Gordo had been shocked in seventh grade when Miranda told him "gordo" meant "fat" in Spanish.

"And so the next day he comes in, curses them out in Spanish and his name was David after that. I never did learn where he learned those words" She laughed.

"He probably called our friend Miranda in Mexico" Lizzie smiled. "That seems like something she would teach him."

"It was so funny to see those putas all silenced by what he said" She smiled as Lizzie tackled her long blonde hair, pulling it back in a way that made her face less sharp, yet not babyish. "You gunna be a hair dresser?" Chris asked.

"Oh no, my parents would flip if I didn't want to go to college!" Lizzie smiled. "So where are you going next year?" She asked patting her shoulder to let Chris know her hair was done. Chris stood up, shrugging.

"I dunno, its not really in the cards for me right now. What with my sister and all." She smiled. "Where are you headed?"

"State school." Lizzie smiled blushing. "I've always been kind of an average student. So I'm not even setting myself up for the failure of not getting in." She said. "Gordo still passionate about NYU?" Lizzie smiled

"Its all he talks about at school" Chris smiled, it was true. When they actually were in school and David was passing all the tests like he always did then it was all he talked about. When they were on the fire escape all he could talk about was Lizzie, and the present. Chris smiled. She wasn't jealous of Lizzie and Gordo. It wasn't that simple she decided. It was complicated, she didn't mind Lizzie having Gordo, but she sometimes wondered, when they were stoned and the world was hazy and wonderful why she couldn't have David. But Lizzie was free to have Gordo.

Lizzie stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. "What does Gordo really say about me?"

Chris leaned against a door, smiling "He talks about you all the time Lizzie. Sometimes he worries he can never be who you need, and he nearly cries in frustration." Chris smiled, "He told me about the trip to Rome, he talked about you like you were the only good thing in the world." She bit back telling her about how when he was stoned he would lean down against the metal railing and kiss Chris' forehead telling her about his amazing girlfriend who was so far above anything they could see that she wouldn't know of it. She regretted not telling Lizzie about the desperation in David's eyes when he came out onto the fire escape with a new bruise or gripping his arm in pain. About how afterwards all he said was that he wished he was back with Lizzie. "You're his world." She whispered softly.

Because it was true, no matter how much Chris sometimes wanted to be the girl in David's life she knew Lizzie was. Lizzie had a part of David, Gordo, that she never would. And she hoped one day that Gordo would let Lizzie know David. And she hoped to God that Lizzie loved David as much as she did Gordo.

"So Ethan drinks a lot?" She asked Lizzie.

"Yeah, but its more of a coping thing then anything else." Lizzie said carefully. "And these parties are mainly for drinking." She paused "Do you think Gordo will mind if I drink?" She asked "I mean he used to hate it when I would even drink at New Years!" She laughed.

"No, I don't think David will care" Chris smiled easily.

Lizzie laughed, starting to pull clothes off hangers, seemingly at random. She stared into the mirror with an intensity that Chris could only think to match with that of the evil queen staring at the magic mirror of the Snow White fairy tales. She moved over behind Lizzie "Mirror Mirror on the wall whose the fairest of the them all" She whispered softly, her newly glossed lips mouthing the words.

Lizzie smiled and laughed "Ethan will love you" She smiled softly, an outfit held in her hand.

Gordo was sitting downstairs, worried.

He worried that upstairs his life was unraveling, he worried that Chris and Lizzie were comparing notes. And Lizzie was finding out that she only knew half the story. He put his nervous energy at first into brushing his hair. Then he turned it into pacing. But an hour into it he had given up, sitting down harshly on the sofa where he and Lizzie had first ventured into second base in the ninth grade.

As soon as he gave up he heard the door open upstairs, Chris walked down the stairs. He didn't bother to stand up, knowing she would walk over to him and curl into his side. He looked up at her as she stood in front of him, "Hey" Chris whispered.

Lizzie had put her in a tight dark blue shirt and a pair of more fitting jeans. A white men's shirt that Gordo recognized as one of his from his younger days was pulled on over the tee shirt which read "Ciao Venice!" In black.

"You look good" He smiled as she curled into his side. David grinned, feeling her forehead against his shoulder. "So what did you ladies gossip about?"

"You" She smiled "Lizzie wanted to know if you'd be mad that if she drank, I said no, and you better not! You hate hypocrisy, and David drinks. I don't care what you say. No holding Lizzie to a double standard. Also this means you can drink some" She said.

"I just don't like to think of my Lizzie getting drunk." Gordo whispered. "I know she probably does when I'm in LA but I don't want to think of her doing anything like that."

"You should tell her" Chris whispered "she's gunna find out. And if she finds out because you take a puff of a joint with out coughing , and act normal she'll figure it out."

"Then I won't" He said.

"David!" Chris sat up. "That girl loves you. And I know you love her! Stop being an idiot! Tell her the truth! She deserves it!"

David sighed. "I know, but what if she doesn't accept me for it." He gulped. "You know I didn't even want to tell you."

"Its hard to keep secrets on the fire escape" Chris smiled "We hear all"

Lizzie smiled opening the door and Gordo stood up to watch her come down the stairs, looking amazing as she did so. Her outfit was a little odd, a little more goth then normal. But Chris smiled. The deep purple bodice she wore over a pair of tight jeans, with a rhinestone apple on a necklace. It was all in reference to the Snow White fairy tale.

She smiled over David's shoulder mouthing to her "The fairest" as she bowed her head.

Author's notes: Oh we're almost near the plot! I did a lot of introspective stuff in this chapter. I think its important to note that Chris and to a point Lizzie see David and Gordo as two separate people who neither knows both, so this puts them both in the weird position that they are in. here's a hint for the next chapter… Chris and Ethan in a closet.


	6. Chapter 6

Gordo drove them, Lizzie sitting next to him, and Chris curled happily in the back seat. Lizzie was laughing and singing along to a song on the radio which David was protesting to hate. "You could have had a singing career. Don't punish the rest of us because you wouldn't" He joked.

"Singing career?" Chris asked, pulling some hair from her glossy lips.

"Italy" Gordo said before Lizzie could start explaining it in earnest. Lizzie pouted as Chris nodded in recognition.

"Gordo! I wanted to tell her!"

"She's already heard the story."

"Gordo, it's the one thing in the world that makes me interesting, I like telling it." Lizzie said practically.

"Lizzie. You don't need that stupid Roman trip to make you interesting." David said as he pulled into a line of cars.

"Name one other thing that makes me different from the rest of this suburb!"

Gordo put the car in park and leaned over kissing Lizzie's forehead in a way that Chris recognized, it was a caring motion, not sexual. He'd done it to her a million times. "Lizzie, your amazing." He whispered, stroking her cheek.

Chris got out of the car to give them some privacy. The intimacy that they were displaying was more then anything she'd ever seen. She almost wished that they were being gross so she didn't feel so guilty just being there.

The kegger was something out of a generic summer teen movie. There was a house on a hill, with what must have been the entire senior class of Lizzie's high school streaming up to it. Everyone screaming and some even carrying kegs up to the house.

Lizzie and Gordo got out of the car, Gordo loosely taking her hand, kissing the back of it as they joined Chris walking up to Ethan's impressive house. Gordo had of course been before, but not since he'd moved into a tiny apartment with his father. His apartment was the size of Ethan's back porch. Chris had never been and was raising an eyebrow at David, wondering what they were doing there.

Ethan saw Lizzie and he walked over, offering all three of them beers, Chris had one before the words finished coming out of his mouth, taking the red plastic cup she smiled.

"So this is Chris?" Ethan asked, "Kate's not gay" He said to Lizzie jokingly.

"Misunderstanding" Lizzie yelled. "You single tonight?"

"They want us to hook up so David doesn't feel guilty about brining me here and hanging with Lizzie all weekend!" Chris explained.

"Sounds good to me!" Ethan joked. "So Gordon! Where in LA are ya?"

"Oh we can see the Hollywood sign from the window" David said being intentionally vague, knowing that Ethan wouldn't press because of his lack of intelligence. Ethan chose not to press for more information, mainly because he had more important things to find out.

"You aren't fucking around on Lizzie right?" He said drawing David away in an odd motion that didn't remove them from the girls but hid them. "Because I like you and all but really if you are, then I'll have to kill you."

"Why does everyone think I'm cheating on my girlfriend" If it had been a movie the music would have stopped just as he said "I'm cheating on my girlfriend" but it didn't and just as well, as everyone did assume that. "No one thought I was screwing around with Miranda"

"No they thought she wanted Lizzie." Ethan said, his tone a little more serious then David remembered.

"I'm not screwing around" David yelled over the party, for some reason Ethan barely had to raise his voice, but David had to yell.

"Good!" Ethan said "What happened to your eye"

"Baseball, in Gym" He yelled, Ethan looked at Gordo, assessing him.

"Ouch" He nodded. "Chris is hot!"

"Lizzie made her over!" Gordo said nodding.

"You saying I ain't hot normally David?" Chris said smiling as she placed a playful sloppy kiss on his cheek. Lizzie grinned doing the same, only more intimate. David grinned as he knew he had both of their lip prints on his cheeks.

"You're hot, but in the whole grungy p-" he stopped himself before he finished that thought. Ethan laughed.

"Baccardi silver?" He asked grabbing one out of a cooler. Alcohol was everywhere. Ethan's father always seemed to order tons of it before going away, hush money for his son.

"Low carb right?" Chris asked jokingly as she took one. Both Lizzie and Gordo were still nursing their beers, but Chris had finished hers' a while back.

Ethan checked as he handed it over to her. "Hell yeah, wouldn't do to go and loose my girlish figure now would it?" He laughed opening one for himself. Chris grinned, raising her glass in salute to him. Ethan had changed since middle school, it was fitting, four years should change people. He wasn't as into the whole popularity thing and enjoyed the simple and uncomplicated friendship he had with Lizzie. It was a good contrast to the highly public and complex relationship him and Kate seemed to force themselves to have.

While still the most attractive guy in his school, Ethan for some reason didn't look as primped almost as he had in Middle school. He'd lost the attempts at looking gangsta and looked more like the rich boy he was in reality, the look worked for him. Oddly enough. Chris smiled up at him, a few pieces of hair stuck across her over glossed lips and he grinned down at her.

He liked Chris, she obviously wasn't at all like Kate, who was at the moment throwing herself at Danny Kessler. There was something more grounded about her. He knew he liked her when she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled herself up to kiss him. The kiss tasted of cheap beer and Bacardi drunk so fast that there was no distinguishing the flavor that it had once been. As they parted Ethan chugged his own Baccardi, kissing Chris again pulling her to him desperately.

David watched, holding Lizzie lightly, his arm wrapped around her waist in a slightly possessive hold. Lizzie held onto him desperately, almost embarrassing herself as she held the red plastic cup full of beer gently. "They look good together" Gordo whispered to her, kissing her ear lightly.

"They do" Lizzie agreed, her head resting on his shoulder. She was silent watching them. Ethan had several bad habits, drinking, smoking and sleeping around. "Chris doesn't get too attactched to guys right?" She asked over the party.

"Not normally" David said puzzled. "Anyway, its not like she'll be sticking around long enough to get attached."

"Oh yeah, you'll be back in LA on Sunday" Lizzie nodded. She looked up and saw Chris pulling away, she hoped that the girl wouldn't slap Ethan, he hadn't had that much to drink and couldn't have insulted her that badly. Lizzie had heard Ethan insult girls so horribly that she hadn't wanted to comfort him after they slapped and yelled and made a fuss. But the odd thing was that it always seemed to be the girl's fault. They would assume to much of him, use him, or just cheat on him. The reason he stayed with Kate so many times was because she was just honest. If she didn't want to date him she'd dump him, if she wanted him to get her something she'd tell him. Nothing stupid like the other girls who tried to trick him or the like.

Lizzie watched as Chris smiled leading Ethan upstairs. Gordo laughed and kissed her ear. "Chris is a big girl, she doesn't need us to shelter her."

"Can she deal with Ethan though?"

"He won't hurt her right?" David asked seriously. A few months ago a guy Chris had been hanging with had started slapping her around.

"Ethan?" Lizzie asked surprised. "Oh god no! I've just heard from Kate…" She trailed off. "No he won't hurt her."

Ethan was having issues trying to procure a room for the two of them, several doors were locked from the inside and it was too gross to think about going into his father and step mother's room, Chris laughed and pulled him into a closet, which was bigger almost then her room back home. She pulled a couple furs off the rack and put them on the floor, pulling Ethan over her.

Ethan looked down at her, undoing her hair delicately, a pile of bobby pins resting on the mink coat beneath them. Chris laughed slightly looking up at him, and the deliberate and determination he had on plucking the pins out. His hand stroked though her hair breaking up the hair spray that Lizzie had so artfully put in.

"Sorry about the closet thing" He said softly looking at her, his eyes inspecting her. Chris smiled, liking the feeling of his thumb stroking her hairline.

"No issue." She said licking her lips slightly, the gloss loosing its shine as he kissed her again. Chris smiled running her own fingers though his perfect hair.

The noise from the party was hard to ignore, but both were used to ignoring things.

Disclaimer: Me no own.

Author's notes: Wee! Chapter Six! Okay a couple things, I do intend to keep Ethan around. Why? Because I think as a character he has tons of potential and is completely and unfairly overlooked. Why else? Because writing interactions between three people is hard for me to do. I don't like it. And also, Ethan is important to us learning more about Gordo/David. (Also, a note, I happen to think that our culture is over sexualized and that's why instead of referring to Chris and Ethan stripping he takes out her hair pins which is a reference to older sexual things and I didn't want to get to sexual with the two of them.) Also, I have not in anyway forgotten aobut this peice, I have been swamped with college and the biggest case of writers blocke that has ever struck me across the face with a wombat. Okay. That made no sense to me and I wrote it.


	7. Chapter 7

Ethan and Chris moved out from the closet, Chris' hair mussed from their activities. The party had gotten louder and alcohol was sloshed around the kitchen floor. Ethan lightly stroked her arm, smiling at her with her perfect teeth. Chris smiled back pulling him down for another kiss. Her lip-gloss was almost ruined and Ethan was licking the sweet substance from his own lips.

"Well that didn't take long" David smiled at Chris who nodded and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, Ethan, no pretense even!" Lizzie smiled. She kissed Gordo lightly and nuzzled his neck. "So when's this wild bash going to be over?"

"When the cops come, yell and then everyone scatters." Ethan said "Or someone decides to move it to the Holyoke Barn"

Gordo nodded. "I'd almost forgotten about that." The barn was the only place better for partying then Ethan's house.

"So how long are you two in town for?" Ethan asked drawing Chris closer to him and pointedly ignoring the fact that Kate was trying to get his attention by straddling Danny Kessler.

"Um, We're heading home on Monday." Gordo said.

"You're missing school!" Lizzie asked, incredulously. "You David Gordon are missing school!"

"Yeah, Its not that big of a deal" Gordo said.

"We have impeccable attendance" Chris said seriously, David turned and glared at her, he smirked again though as he noted her once carefully pinned hair, his eyebrow rose as if telling her "We'll talk later"

"I mean if it really worries you we could go home on Sunday, instead" David grinned kissing Lizzie, pulling her close as he smiled; he lightly bit her lip as he smiled.

"No" Lizzie shook her head. "Monday's fine. My folks aren't coming home until Tuesday anyhow."

"Excellent" Ethan smiled. "Once the cops break this up, we can really hang out. Chris you wanna come meet people?" He asked looking down at Chris, who was blushing as David raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah" She said hastily putting her hair up in a few bobby pins she'd grabbed from the pile on Ethan's stepmother's coat. Ethan ran a hand through her hair, trying to hinder the progression of putting it back up.

David smiled back at Lizzie, while Chris and Ethan had been busy they had spent some time talking with friends and David was anxious for him and Lizzie to return to her home and do what Chris and Ethan had been doing.

"When can we go?" He whispered into Lizzie's ear, he'd started to be able to speak at a normal volume and have his voice be heard.

"I normally stay to help Ethan clean up after" Lizzie yelled back. "Because no one else really does.

"Oh" Gordo said, "Why do you though?"

"Ethan's a nice guy, you're always too hard on him!"

"He's practically brain dead!"

"Gordo! You hardly know him! And if he's that stupid then why is Chris happy with him?" She pointed to the two and Chris indeed looked happy, she had another Bacardi silver in her hand and her other hand was loosely held by Ethan. "Do you think Chris would honestly sleep with someone as dumb as you think Ethan is?"

"Yes! I do!" He yelled. "Chris isn't like you Lizzie, she doesn't think of sleeping with guys as such an intimate experience."

"Gordo! How can you be that mean?"

"What?" Gordo asked. He wasn't insulting Chris. "Listen I understand that with me and Miranda gone you've got to make new friends, but Ethan and Kate!" He gestured to Kate who looked like she was shit faced drunk and actually doing Danny Kessler rather then simply making out.

Lizzie bit her lip. "Kate's had problems, so has Ethan."

"Oh yeah, Ethan has problems. Like what? His dad pays off the cops too much so he can have parties?"

Lizzie gulped. "Why don't you think I can make my own friends?" She asked, her voice going up like an exclamation rather then a question.

"Do you have to make friends with people whose lives are nothing more then this?" He gestured to the party. "Its all so stupid. It doesn't mean anything."

"God Gordo!" Lizzie yelled "Are you always this judgmental of people? What do you say about me? These are my friends. Ethan's a great guy. Chris seems nice. So what if they have fun. Ever think it would be good if Chris got emotionally involved with someone?"

"Chris is a big girl, I don't need to look after her," He said putting down his beer cup violently. "She doesn't need my approval for things. She doesn't care what I think of Ethan.

"I do though!" Lizzie gulped. "I care what you think about my friends, I want you to see that Ethan isn't dumb!"

"But he is! He hardly could function."

"Maybe Gordo you're life is simple, but not everyone's is!"

Gordo choked back a laugh. "You think my life is simple! God Lizzie." He shook his head. "You think anything about my life since I left this place has been simple?"

"Tell me!" Lizzie begged. She was starting to cry her perfectly done make up falling with her tears down her face. "I know there's something else. And I'm pretty sure its not Chris, but if you're seeing her too, just tell me. God Gordo, please!"

David came within a milliseconds worth of telling her. But then he imagined her face, the look she would give him. What would she do if he turned to her and said, "My dad started hitting me? I do dope. I drink. And on some nights when I'm really stoned I turn to Chris and we make out, I don't think we've slept together, but sometimes I feel like we should. I love you more the entire world, but I'm scared of being with you now that I'm so different."

So he turned away and didn't say anything. He walked to the back yard and grabbed a bong, took a few hits and decided not to give it back. The smoke curled up the bong, and he watched it, amazed.

The poor kid who'd had his bong and weed stolen watched too. Amazed to see David Gordon sucking away at a bong.

Author's notes: you all are lucky I love this fic so much other wise I would never update it with the reviews the way they are now. Let me stress, I'm not holding a chapter over your heads with review counts. I'm simply saying that if I don't think its being read. Then why write it. I use my own stories as jumping off places and because I hardly ever write on the same computer there are alls orts of unnecessary breaks and distances between when I post and write. So I don't know if those counts are me hitting my own story or other people hitting it. So leave a review.

Also, I like Chris, what do you guys think of her. I know a lot of people don't get the relationship I'm trying to describe with them, but… let me put it in simpler terms.

Even if they slept together it wouldn't be because of a long desire or romantic feelings. It would be because they have a connection that they can't share. Chris isn't going to break them up. In fact her issues will be with Ethan and less and less with Gordo as time goes on.

So Review. So I can put them in a closet again.


	8. Chapter 8

Gordo was baked.

He realized this was exactly what he had been planning on not doing during his mini vacation.

Lizzie was somewhere inside. He hoped because otherwise Lizzie could see him with the bong in his hands and his eyes red.

That wasn't his best look. If he could drink a few more beers he could explain it that way. But he stank of weed.

Gordo conveniently forgot that as he went searching for Chris. It was logical, he didn't think he'd ever been stoned with out her so then it made sense to find her. Maybe they could talk like out on the fire escape. Only this was different.

Hiding from his father was one thing.

A peaceful toke with Chris on the fire escape, even after his dad smacked him across the face was different.

This wasn't right. That was all David could think as he searched blindly for Chris. Here it wasn't fun. Here there wasn't a hazy world where Lizzie wasn't a part of the shit.

Here Lizzie could see him. He dropped the bong and it clanged on the soft carpeting. He realized how stupid he'd been very quickly. This high wasn't going to help him no matter what.

He saw Chris, she was laughing at something Ethan had said. His head was tipped down against her hair, his lips against her ears speaking. Chris' hair was still only half up. Apparently Ethan had succeeded at his task of keeping Chris' long blonde hair down.

David gulped; he was confused if he should pull her away. Chris turned and saw him though.

"David!" She hissed she could tell in a glance that he was baked. Ethan turned, his eyebrow quirked.

"Gordon!" He hissed, looking around quickly for Lizzie, Seeing her gulping back tears for some unknown reason. "Come on". He muttered taking Gordo by one hand; Chris glared at Gordo her eyes livid with fury.

"You told me you weren't gunna be doing this here!" She said steering him away from the party. Ethan was looking murderous.

"I didn't mean to, we got into a fight"

Chris turned to him, her mouth open wide. "What did you do!" she yelled.

Ethan rolled his eyes. "I'll get rid of the party," He said. Then he turned away. "DUDE! SOMEONE CALLED THE COPS! EVERYONE CLEAR OUT!"

Again Chris was reminded of a movie, as it seemed that within ten minutes everyone was gone. Lizzie hadn't left. She knew that Ethan got sick of the parties he threw; He would pretend someone called the cops and then clean up. Even if he were dead drunk he would maniacally clean the house.

Chris turned to Ethan who raised an eyebrow, raising his hands up to ask, "What do you want me to do?" she gestured to Gordo and the stairs. Ethan dragged the boy up none to kindly.

Chris gulped walking over to Lizzie. "Hey what's wrong? David said you had a fight," She said sitting down awkwardly next to Lizzie. Chris wasn't a fan of dealing with girl issues. She had been able to avoid many of the things that would normally be constituted as dealing with issues by not having female friends, and not getting emotionally attached to the guys she hung with.

Lizzie turned to her. "Are you sleeping with him?" She asked softly. "Gordo, David, The boy who we both know" She gulped, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"No" Chris said softly. "We've never slept together."

"Then why is he like this?" She gulped. "I mean; if he was sleeping with you I could get it!" She said. "But he's so different. I mean I hardly know him now. He comes here and he acts so the same. But I can see that he isn't the same. He looks at you differently then he ever did Miranda. Even before we found out she was gay." Lizzie gulped again.

Chris bit her lip awkwardly. "David is different. His parents divorce" She started. "Well he doesn't get a lot of what happened." Chris swallowed lightly. "I mean, the apartment building we live in is nothing like this" She motioned to the room around them. "No one has furs for example. And if they did they would never screw around on them" She laughed.

"Well my family isn't like super rich either!" Lizzie said. "Ethan's dad is super rich, and it doesn't make life any easier."

"I didn't say that" Chris gulped, unsure what to do.

"He won't give Ethan a chance! He acts like I'm stupid and…" She gulped desperately.

"He's going through a hard time," Chris said. Right now, she hated David. He should be down here calmly talking with Lizzie, not stoned. And he shouldn't have been lying to her. Chris sighed; she wanted to talk with Lizzie. "He's different. LA is really different."

"But why can't he tell me?" Lizzie whispered. "I know the divorce was hard for him, and it was so sudden, his mom was living with them one minute and the next she was filing for divorce. I was with him every minute I could be with him. He told me everything."

"His dad was really shocked by the divorce." Chris said, not sure what else she could say to the girl. "And LA isn't Hillridge." Chris smiled slightly, "Our school isn't like yours. David's dad couldn't afford much. The city is expensive."

"So?" Lizzie asked. "That doesn't mean that he has to change."

"But he did" Chris said.

"But what is it he's not telling me" Lizzie asked softly.

"I can't tell you, David has to." Chris said standing up "Shall we start cleaning?"

"You like Ethan?" Lizzie asked wiping her tears off with the back of her hand.

Chris shrugged. "I think we get each other."

Ethan sat down; they were in one of the guest rooms. His dad's new wife had an impressive doll collection; it lined the light coloured room.

David was sitting on the delicate bed, a flora comforter on it. The room decorated like a Victorian child's dream. The dolls stared out through glassy eyes, inspecting Gordo.

"What the fuck is up with you Gordon?" Ethan asked.

David looked around. "You are the only person who calls me Gordon. Chris calls me David. And everyone else here calls me Gordo" He looked Ethan over "Why is that?"

"It doesn't matter" Ethan said. "Why are you stoned?"

"Because this is what I do Ethan. This is what Chris and me do. We get stoned and have a good time. We stand out on the fire escape and smoke weed."

"Why are you stoned here?" Ethan asked pushing Gordo. "If Lizzie found out"

"Because the use of cannabis is a popular form of escapism. It causes a pleasant feeling of carelessness."

Ethan looked at him. "Lizzie would be crushed."

"Lizzie wouldn't date me over pot?" Gordo asked, he laughed. "She wouldn't date me if she knew the first thing about me."

"What? That your dad hits you?" Ethan asked raising his eyebrow.

"How…" David blinked open mouthed.

"You've got a black eye."

"Baseball."

"You forget, I actually had gym with you" Ethan said, "You weren't half as bad as you thought. You just didn't care at all."

"So?" David blinked.

"My dad used to rough me up. I just got bigger. He thought it would toughen me up. He did it to my older brother's too."

Gordo tried to remember Ethan's father. He was a round man, not at all tall like his son and wife. Balding too. It was hard to imagine the man hitting his sons.

"My mom got it worst though" Ethan shrugged "He used to chase her around our house with a belt screaming. This was before we got rich. We used to live in that shitty house that people throw stones at now." He was frank and honest.

"Holy fuck"

"Dude, its not that big of a deal."

"Yes it is."

"Because its here?"

"No because you were a kid." David said looking up. "I mean does he hit his wife now."

"Nah, he just fucks them. He divorces them as soon as he can" Ethan laughed.

"Dude how can you talk about it so easily?"

"Because I don't care its not like it actually matters," Ethan shrugged. "So why were you smoking pot?"

"Me and Lizzie got into a fight."

"Over what?"

"Well we were fighting over you actually, and Chris."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Uh, dude. I didn't know you were so protective of her, if I knew."

"No, over how stupid you were, no offense meant"

"Dude, you totally meant to offend me!" Ethan said laughing. "Its okay. But why does that make you want to jeopardize your relationship?"

"She doesn't know, anything about me really. I mean she knew me. But she doesn't know about LA." Gordo gulped. "And we started talking and I said that Kate and you weren't more then anything."

"Kate isn't" Ethan volunteered. "But, at the same time. You don't really get to choose her. She likes being as shallow as she is."

"I dunno what happened" Gordo said. Putting his head in his hands he sighed. "We just fought. We fight so much now. She wants to know what's different. But I'm so afraid to tell her. Because what if she doesn't understand."

"Dude, she will. Lizzie gets people, she's really empathetic." He grinned. "You wanna stay here till your high comes down?"

"Yeah." David lay back, "So what's with all the dolls?"

"My dad's wife." Ethan said.

"Ahh. Dolls are creepy; I mean it's a way for people to control others. Little girls play with dolls and they organize their entire lives. They control their mood, their personalities. And then when they no longer want to play with them. The world disappears."

"Dolls scare me"

"Glad you and Chris didn't fuck in here?"

"Hell yeah."

Disclaimer: me no own

Author's note: Ethan is not jaded. He's not even fucked up because of his past. It just happened to him and he put on the stupid act when he was a little kid. He realized it was useful so he kept it. Why do I love to torture Ethan, because in the dinner murder thing his step mom was all ditzy.

Also, how much do I love all my readers! So much! Thank you all for the reviews. I'll drop you a hint. The more reviews I get the more likely I am to update. I don't promise anything because I am totally behind in school. But I love writing this. I don't know where its gunna go. But I love it. I have finals in two weeks though, so if the updates get spotty that's why. But after, I am all yours. I hope to finish this during winter break. And then maybe depending on where it ends continues with a sequel.


	9. Chapter 9

Gordo sat up as he realized Ethan had left him to ponder life on his own. The dolls in the room looked at him, all of their eyes focused on something off in the distance some seemed to be looking right at him so he stared back at them.

It was an old doll. Long blonde hair brushed thin, glassy and unreal blue eyes. It was his Lizzie. She had the same slight smile and way of making him feel at ease. He knows this is laughable. The doll looks a Victorian heirloom, and it hasn't been played with in years.

David thinks for a moment, this doll looks like Lizzie, but when he thinks about it he's been treating Lizzie like a doll. He puts her up on a shelf like this doll, he wants her not to have a life outside of him, he wants to keep her safe from him. But Lizzie isn't a doll. She's a human who he is desperately in love with. She deserves to know who he is whether or not she wants him after that.

Gordo stood up, not a feeling of the confusing high he'd just experienced still with him. Instead there was only the certiantly of what to tell Lizzie. He grinned as he opened the door, Lizzie was standing there looking at him, her hand poised to knock.

"God Lizzie" David whispered hugging her, his arms holding her tight. "I'm such an asshole."

"No" Lizzie hugged him back, "No you're not, you're just... conflicted" she said remembering her conversation with Chris.

"No, Lizzie, I've been lying to you, I came here and I almost ruined everything. I need to tell you the truth. You need to hear it." He whispered against her neck, his lips brushing against her skin. He pulled away, his hands on her shoulders, inspecting her in case this was the last time he would ever see her with her in love with him. "You know I love you right?" He whispered.

"God! Gordo! Just tell me!" Lizzie said, her eyes full of concern.

"Where can we go thats private?" David asked, stroking down her arm, enjoying touching her, hoping that in twenty minutes she would still let him.

Lizzie looked at him. "Just tell me, I don't care if it sounds tactful or if its horrible. Just tell me."

"LA sucks Lizzie." He whispered moving away, he couldn't stand to touch her as he started to tell her about it. "My dad can't get a decent job there, he started getting really stressed. Apparently before he met my mom, he smoked a lot of dope. He started again. It wasn't so bad, so I didn't want you to worry about me. But then, he started smacking me around. And you're so perfect. I didn't want you to know. Chris knew. But the same thing happens to her, so she doesn't care"

Lizzie gulped looking up at David. "Why didn't you tell me" She gulped her tears almost overflowing. "Why didn't you tell your mom. Why are you still there. Oh god!" Lizzie looked back at his eye "Why does he hit you?"

"Um" David blinked "Well, I stole his weed"

Lizzie looked up at him, she bit her lip "Why?"

"Because. Um, well"

"You smoke?" Lizzie asked quietly. "Is that it?"

"Me and Chris do" he whispered, "Normally after my dad smacks me, or her mom yells at her, or a guy hits her around. We just go and smoke."

"Is that it?" Lizzie asked, gulping, trying to re order her vision of a man who she was in love with but now hardly knew.

"We talk, I tell her about you. Lizzie, I've been an asshole. I expected you not to change, but you did. And you're amazing. You always are." He gulped leaning against a wall.

"What have you done with Chris."

"What do you mean?" Gordo asked gulping.

"David, you know what I mean. Have you slept with her, kissed her?"

"We've kissed a couple times" He said shakily, "when things got bad, but its just a kiss."

"Just a kiss?" Lizzie whispered. "What does that mean."

"We didn't have any other way of, reaching out. It wasn't sexual."

"David" She gulped, hugging him. "I don't want to loose you" She whispered. "I don't know who I am with out you"

"Lizzie, you seem to think I'm the great one in this relationship. You're the beautiful, understanding, talented, and amazing one." He smiled running a hand through her hair. "I love you, and I haven't trusted you enough. That makes me a stupid asshole. I should have told you this stuff right away instead of trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" Lizzie asked.

"Me."

"Thats awful selfish of you" Lizzie laughed as she started crying. "You need to share your problems other wise I'm not a very good girlfriend."

David couldn't belive it. Lizzie still loved him. With all his faults hanging out in the open, and all his issues exposed. She kissed him and opened up the door to the guest room, and for some reason the dolls weren't as scary, and he wasn't sure if it was that he no longer was high, or if he no longer felt that he was hiding something. But the dolls weren't looking at him anymore. And Lizzie was all around him.

Downstairs, Ethan was silently cleaning, he methodically threw away red plastic cups, and didn't even blink when he saw barf or clothing. "Chris, is it wrong to be sick of a girl who everyone expects you to love?"

"No" Chris said, scrubbing something out of a carpet. She had originally intended not to clean anything, but the normalicy of it seemed to have won her over. "Kate right?"

"Yeah. She's just always playing the same stupid games, I don't want that anymore."

"So. Leave her. Let her fuck someone else."

"My parents like her though."

"Ethan" Chris stood up. "Do you like her?"

"No."

"Do you like any of this?" She motioned with the brush to the mess of the party. "Do you like partying?"

"No."

"Then don't do it. Its not worth it."

Ethan looked over at her, a look of astonishment on his face. "You fucking hypocrite!" He laughed suddenly.

"What?" Chris asked.

"You're here because Gordon wants you to be. You don't want to even leave LA!"

"Listen, I do things for David because he's a nice guy. He's the nicest guy I've ever met. And because he's not used to shit like this, he needs help."

"but why did you show up here?"

"So I could fuck you!" Chris said exasperated. "Listen David needed me. I don't mind leaving LA, its not that great there."

"But you hate this place. Right?"

"Yes, but because people here don't get it" Chris sighed. "Look at the people at this party. They don't get that you have to clean, they think you're at wherever they all are right now. Thats why I hate this place." Chris sighed looking over at him. "I mean, David still doesn't get most of it. He thinks that life sucks for him, and that its an exclusive thing. So much of him is still here. He just has shit going on now." She sat down on a leather couch. "He can't see whats right infront of him."

Ethan smiled "You're so right." He grinned kissing her again. Chris laughed smiling as she wrapped her fingers in his hair. "So right."

Author's notes: Sorry this took so long to get out. I really am. -sighs- This chapter just did not want to be written. So I hope this is okay. PLEASE be honest PLEASE! Review Review review!


	10. Chapter 10

Gordo blinked, as he looked around the room, he smiled seeing Lizzie there as well as a few other eyes as he remembered the dolls. "Hey beautiful" He smiled nuzzling her cheek.

Lizzie smiled her eyes fluttering open "OH GOD!" She yelled pulling the sheets up as she saw the dolls. Gordo laughed stroking her hair lightly.

"I love you" he laughed, smiling as he pulled her close.

"I wanna get out of this room. The dolls creep me out" She muttered pulling the sheet closer. "Hate hate hate this whole room" She muttered putting her clothes on. "I can't believe we had sex in here. I can't believe Ethan's dad would have sex with a woman who collects these."

"How do you know she collects them"

"Oh please, this is the room he gives his wives for tehir collections, most of which he funds. His last wife had a spoon collection a freaking boring state spoon collection. But she swore it was worth millions" Lizzie rolled her eyes pulling a shirt on. "Will Chris mind that we stayed over here?"

"Please, she slept with Ethan last night I guarantee it" Gordo grinned sitting up in the bed and grinning. "so what are we gunna do today?"

"Go visit your mom." Lizzie smiled innocently.

"What?" Gordo asked as he stood up pulling his boxers on from their place on the floor. "Why do we have to see her."

"You haven't seen her since mid summer!" Lizzie whined. "And I know you want to have her answer your questions! And I want to know why she didn't ..." Lizzie trailed off not sure what to say.

"Keep me?" Gordo asked softly. "Why she gave me to my father and never looked back?"

"Yeah" Lizzie whispered hugging him and pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder. "Because I don't see why anyone would do that to you."

Gordo smiled slightly, "You know you're making me sound like a helpless little child." He laughed. "I'm not a kicked puppy"

"No but your my boyfriend" Lizzie pouted, "and come on! You know you're curious as hell as to why it happened. Think of it as a documentary, and don't include your self or your emotions. Just like you tell me to do when I'm fighting with my parents."

"It doesn't work with you." He pointed out leaning in and kissing her.

Lizzie pulled back "Dolls!" She pointed looking vaguely frightened. Gordo laughed and kissed her.

He pulled away and put his pants on, grabbing his shirt he left putting it on as he walked out the door. Lizzie followed looking at him smiling "Hey" She smiled hugging him from behind, her face against his back.

"Hey" He smiled standing still and enjoying having Lizzie holding him. "Whats up?"

"We're in love" She giggled as he spun around and picked her up. Lizzie squeeled as he kissed her happily. "Its a wonderful feeling."

"Yes it is" David grinned laughing as he kissed her again.

Chris and Ethan were laying on the couch, the majority of the mess was in various bags around them a blanket drawn up for warmth over both of them. Chris smiled, looking over at Ethan as she heard the other two coming down the stairs she cussed, grabbing he clothes and throwing them on as she woke Ethan up.

"Is it breakfast" he mumbled turning over, feeling Chris move.

"David and Lizzie are coming" She laughed, tugging on the blanket. "Get dressed" She laughed, her long hair falling over her bare shoulders as she held her shirt across her chest, pulling it on just as David carried lizzie down the stairs.

"So you two had a fun night" David said, about to burst into laughter as he saw them.

"Dude, you guys had sex in the doll room" Ethan said. "that's just creepy"He turned over, pulling the blanket tighter around him.

David laughed as Lizzie looked up at him "See Gordo! Its creepy, I can't believe we did!"

"You didn't seem to mind last night" David grinned, putting her down. Lizzie smiled wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him. Chris rolled her eyes.

"I'm gunna go make waffles" She muttered "Ethan, show me where your stuff is in the Kitchen" She said.

At the mention of waffles Ethan woke up and was rapidly dressing, pulling on his jeans he followed Chris, directing her to the waffle iron and coffee maker.

Lizzie smiled turning to Gordo, "So, what do you think is up with Chris and Ethan?" She grinned.

"Chris is having fun and so is he." David said carefully remembering this was how they got into their last fight. "nothing wrong with it." He smiled hearing Ethan curse and Chris yell "The waffle Iron is hot!"

Lizzie nodded "She's nice"

"Chris?" He asked kissing her neck lightly.

"Yes Chris!" Lizzie laughed. "I'm glad you have her there"

"Me too" He smiled. "But you know what I'm gladder of?"

"What?" Lizzie grinned.

"That I have you here" He whispered kissing her.

Ethan was nursing his wounded hand as Chris poured the batter into the waffle iron. "You know" he said. "You could offer to do something" He pointed out as she closed the iron.

"What do you want me to do?" Chris asked as she got him some ice "You could have done that yourself, just as you could get a band aid, and then you'd have stopped the step of telling me where they were" She smiled wrapping the ice in a dish towel.

"I don't need a band aid" he grinned "I just needed ice, and you were a sweetie and got it for me" Chris rolled her eyes as she cleared off the table from beer pong, setting it for breakfast she hurried over and pulled the first waffles from the iron.

"Breakfast!" She yelled as Ethan dropped a piece of ice down her back causing her to laugh and threaten him with her plastic spatula.

Author's notes: Yup so next chapter is seeing him mom I'm thinking. But -hates doing this- PLEASE review. -whimpers- I know you read this, and I hate being a bitch about this, but this story is fun to write, and its hard. I want to know what happens, but if I don't get reviews, then why should I think anyone else wants to read it. -sigh-

Now thats over with, I wanted to make this chapter all flavors of happy! Did I succeed?


	11. Chapter 11

"Hello Mom"

"Gordo" David's mom was surprised to see him there. No more surprised then David was to be there though.

"Hello Mrs. Gordon" Lizzie said cheerfully.

"Oh I go by Levey now, its my maiden name" She said "And its wonderful to see you both again. Come on it."

The mood was not that of a joyful reunion or anything remotely close to it. David slunk into his house, the smell wasn't quite familiar and there were key items he knew his father didn't have that were missing.

"So what are you two doing?" she smiled in a way that made David raise his eyebrow.

"Well Gordo came down to visit me this weekend and..." Lizzie started.

"Why didn't you want me?" Gordo asked looking up suddenly.

"What?" His mother looked concerned, only as Gordo realized her forehead didn't move so easily.

"You got botox?" He asked shaking his head. "And why didn't you want me?"

"Well it made more sense for your father to take you" She said, professionally, David shook his head.

"No it doesn't. Why does it make sense to take me from school, its senior year!"

"I thought you would like LA, you always complained that Hillridge was so boring. Its LA, full of excitement."

"Mom, I complained when I was like ten!" David looked over at her, "and I hate LA! I hate everything about the city. I wanted to stay at home, here!"

Lizzie stood back, reaching out for Gordo's hand, her eyes were full of tears as she shook her head.

"Mom, do you even care about me?" He snapped. "Why would you divorce dad and send me with him if he was so horrible."

"I had an affair Gordo" She said looking at her son. "I divorced your father and kept everything. I'm a bad woman, what more do you want?"

"I want to leave LA!" He said "Are you blind? Can you not see how miserable I am? I go to a school where no one notices if you're there or not! My school has one person besides me who will be going to college!"

"You'll get more scholarship money." She said coldly.

"I'll need it! Dad's working a crap job" He said "we're broke all the time!"

"Well your father has been able to deal thus far."

David stood, staring at his mother, he knew the bruises on his face weren't gone, that people at the party the night before had noticed and his mother didn't. "Mom, do you have any idea how fucked up my life is?"

"David, calm down, it can't be that bad."

"Ms. Levey," Lizzie started. "Are you blind?"

"Lizzie, with all due respect I don't think this is a conversation you need to be privy too." David's mother said, her voice remaining calm.

"Thats odd, because I think I'm the only one who will say it. Gordo, stop skirting around the issue."

David looked over at her. After months of keeping things secret, and years of suburbian "don't tell" his life was suddenly becoming very very public.

"Lizzie, I understand that you and my son are still involved, but that doesn't give you any right to but in."

"I think it does!" Lizzie snapped "You abandoned Gordo, you left him with his father, and you've done nothing to help him!" She turned to David, her eyes full of tears. "You must be blind."

"I never wanted to be a mother Lizzie, my mother practically forced me to get married and have children. Its better David is with his father."

"Lizzie" David whispered. "Its not going to change anything." He said pulling her to the door.

"Are you blind!" Lizzie sobbed out. "Are you? Are you so heartless?"

"Lets go" David whispered as Lizzie clung to his arm, sobbing silently as he lead her to the car.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She gulped. "She would have to do something."

"She didn't want to see." He said softly. "She wants to move on. Didn't you see, there weren't any pictures of me, anywhere."

"I don't want you to go back." Lizzie whispered looking up at him as they walked to her house, Gordo's arm around her waist supporting her. "I don't."

"Well, I can't stay with my mom." He said softly kissing her forehead. "Its not so bad, only a few more weeks, then I'll come down all the time to see you before college"

"Stay with me" Lizzie whispered looking up at him.

"What?"

"I'll tell my parents, they love you. Stay with me."

Author's notes: Wee! New chapter! So the story is coming to a close, we know why David is with his father, and we learn soon what is going to happen with the rest of his life!


	12. Chapter 12

Gordo gently led Lizzie back into the car so that he could drive them both back the Ethan's house. As she buckled up she looked up at him, "Gordo, will you at least think about it?"

He looked over at Lizzie "How can I not" He whispered. And it was true, his mind had been completely full with the thoughts and wishes of what Lizzie had offered. "I mean a chance to finish High School in a place where you have books, where I don't have to hide shit. Lizzie, it sounds great."

"You're 18, why can't you?"

Gordo smiled starting the car. "Chris" He whispered.

Lizzie looked up at him "What?"

"She kept me sane, during the worst part of my life Lizzie, I don't know if I could just leave her there."

Lizzie nodded sighing "But Gordo, you can't stay there."

"I know" He sighed, looking over at her. "I know Lizzie."

"Gordo, just please, I'll talk to my parents. I'll explain everything." She paused "Well almost everything. I don't think they need to know about the weekend they left for Dad's office halloween party and we had sex in half the rooms in the house."

David laughed, looking over at her, he pulled into Ethan's driveway. "If you tell them that, then I can guarantee that they won't let me stay. They probably won't let me come within twenty feet of you" He laughed leaning in and kissing her softly.

"Chris cares about you." Lizzie whispered, slightly out of breath as she looked up at him "she wouldn't want you to fuck things up just for her, just like I wouldn't."

"You like her?"

"I dunno" Lizzie said softly. I don't understand her by any stretch of the imagination. And I'll never be like her. Now that I know what she knows, I guess I could like her. But I'll never understand her."

Gordo nodded. "So should we go in?" He asked looking up at Ethan's house.

"And interrupt the probable sexcapades?" Lizzie asked laughing as she leaned in kissing Gordo again. "Hmmm maybe not"

Twenty minutes later they got out of the car, Lizzie smiled kissing Gordo lightly. "So should we knock really loud?" She laughed as Gordo closed his door. He grabbed her around the waist.

Lizzie laughed as he tightened his grip, David buried his head in her neck. "I dun want to let you go." He whispered, kissing up the bare skin of her shoulder, gently resting his lips against her cheek. "This weekend is too prefect."

"We've fought all weekend practically."

Gordo smiled. "But don't you see, we figured it out, we didn't just argue and argue and then get mad and split. We talked out everything."

Lizzie smiled, looking at him and smiling. "mkay, I'll agree with that."

"And I'm not lying to you anymore." David said softly. "You know me, now. Not just what I tell you."

Lizzie nodded. "Lets go on in. We'll talk to Ethan and Chris while we clean."

David shook his head "Nope." He grinned pulling Lizzie closer to him. "We can just wait for Chris to get bored with him and clean up all by herself."

Lizzie laughed "Gordo!"

"What?" He grinned tugging her arm lightly "Fine we'll go in and clean." He sighed as they walked in.

Ethan was laying back on the couch "God, I hate you Chris" He muttered.

"Oh god" Lizzie looked around. "I thought this would take all day!" She said looking around the sparkling clean house, all the furniture back in is original place.

Chris smiled walking in, carrying a tray of sandwiches. "Hey." She smiled putting the sandwiches down and straddling Ethan, lightly kissing him. "That wasn't so bad!"

"I told you" David grinned "She's a clean freak"

Lizzie laughed, grabbing a sandwich. "Wow Chris you got him to clean?"

"It wasn't fair, she kept on promising me that it would only take five minutes..." Ethan muttered as Chris laughed, falling back onto the couch. Ethan reached meekly for a sandwich but they were to far away. He sighed "the world hates me" He muttered. Chris sat up leaning over him, grabbing two for the both of them.

"So how did the visit with your mom go?" Chris asked handing Ethan a sandwich and laying back on the couch, her legs across Ethan's lap.

"Not very good." David sighed sitting on a bright white couch that only the night before had been covered with a drop cloth and various liquids. Lizzie sat primly next to him.

"Aww David" Chris sighed looking over at him. "I'm sorry."

"Actually Lizzie suggested something" He said looking up. "That I come back, I could live with her."

Chris smiled, she could see how uncomfortable he was just sitting there. "You need to talk?" She asked softly. David nodded and they both stood up, moving to the backyard.

David shut the door behind them, Chris smiled taking out a joint. "Wanna?" She asked as they climbed up the stairs to the porch on the second floor.

"Yeah" He whispered, his voice thick.

Chris lit it, taking a deep drag. She looked up at him, smiling as she exhaled. David grinned taking it.

The night before this was what he had been trying to recreate. The feeling of ease. There wasn't even a feeling he was doing something wrong. He grinned taking a hit, he wrapped his arm around her.

"I dun wanna leave you there alone." He whispered. "I mean I know I won't go back if I leave."

Chris smiled, resting her head against his shoulder. "I know." She said. "But you need to be here" She whispered.

"Lizzie said you'd say that."

"Lizzie was right." Chris laughed. "Look, maybe two weeks ago, I'd tell you to stick it out or that this wasn't the right place for you. Hell maybe even twenty hours ago I'd have said that" She whispered looking as out as the sun started to set on their second day there. "But you need this." She whispered turning to look at him carefully.

"I do?"

"Yeah" She whispered. "You need this more then anything. You're done with LA. And it will change you. And you needed that change." She smiled. "You needed to hit rock bottom, you needed to get stoned with me, you needed to have your perfect nice jewish boy idea of life ruined. So you can be the best, the most amazing film maker this world has seen."

"I'm gunna miss you" David whispered. "You don't know how much."

Chris smiled taking the joint from him, she took a hit then pulled him close shot gunning it to him. He pulled back, exhaling and then leaning in, kissing her.

The kiss was slow, the most unsexual thing a kiss can be. They both had people they needed to say good by to. Chris had to say good by to the boy who she had come closest to falling for. She had to say good bye to the possibility of Ethan, she had to run her hands through David's hair one last time as they worked out complex emotions that they couldn't express through lips and touches.

David had to say good bye to Gordo. He knew, as his lips touched Chris' again that she was right, he was different. And if he didn't acknowledge it then he wouldn't learn. And getting hit around was too painful not to learn from. He had to say good bye to Chris. Because he knew when they left this balcony they would only have spare moments together. He had to want her one last time to understand him.

Soon, before they realized it, Chris was pulling him over her, and they connected for a few minutes. It was uncomfortable, Chris was sure she had splinters in her back, but they had needed it. David kissed her again taking the joint from her and taking a deep hit as they sat on the balcony, Chris pulling on her jeans and leaning against David lightly.

"I'm gunna miss you" He said, whispering to her in the dark.

He pulled his pants up, buttoning them as he ran a hand through his hair. "How the fuck am I gunna explain it to Lizzie?"

Chris smiled "I will" She whispered, pulling her shirt on.

Sex had never been so unsexy.

Author's notes: Now, give me input, should the next chapter be them talking to Lizzie, or David packing up and moving? Notice: Chris never will break up David and Lizzie. They had sex, for connection, as a last real connection. She has no designs on David, in fact she was kinda hoping to fall for Ethan. Now you all know the drill, PLEASE review, I mean it! I've been wanting to put this in the story for a while (I knew from chapter two they'd have sex) And I want to know if I got my message through! So yeah, please review.


	13. Chapter 13

Lizzie looked up at the two of them as they entered.

"Did you?"

"Yes" Chris said, standing in the door. Her eyes unreadable. "It didn't..."

Lizzie held her hand up turning to David. "It doesn't matter." She said her voice thick.

David moved over to her, sitting in front of the couch. "Why?"

"If you can promise me" Lizzie said "looking into my eyes, that you never ever want to sleep with her again." She gulped.

David rose up looking her in the eyes, his hand gently stroking her chin. "I never want to have sex with Chris again." He said looking at her.

"Why did you?"

"It had to happen."

"What?" Lizzie asked looking at him.

"You know in a movie, where two people have some spark?"

Lizzie gulped "But then they end up getting together!"

"At the end of the movie, in some passionate moment." david nodded. "But then the movie ends. And you know what. You realize that it hasn't been as long as it feels. That while we've been so wrapped up in the movie only two three weeks have passed in the time it spans, and you realize. That couldn't mean as much as you thought it did." He whispered. "And you realize that they needed that moment, that connection."

Lizzie gulped. "Me and Chris needed that so bad." He said.

"Why?"

"When you saw her, you though we were sleeping together."

"Yeah" Lizzie nodded.

"Everyone did." He said, his world had narrowed down to Lizzie, he didn't notice Ethan sitting across from them, or Chris, staring out the window.

"If I had taken a lie detector, would you have believed the results?"

"No"

"Now?"

Lizzie looked up at Chris, who was reclining against the door frame. Her eyes staring out at the starry sky. She looked at David, she remembered what they had looked like coming in. The lack of touching. The only thing clueing her in was that. They seemed different.

"I wouldn't even think it was a possibility."

David sat up. Looking over at her he kneeled so he was slightly over her. "Me and Chris, we know we're over. I'm hoping I'll come, stay in your guest room, just enjoy being with you. And she'll go back to LA, she probably won't come back here. I might never see her again. You, you Lizzie, I want to spend so much more time with. I want to know everything about you. You Lizzie, you and I are just beginning."

Lizzie gulped, lurching forward and wrapping her arms around him.

Ethan suddenly stood up, taking Chris by the arm, leading her upstairs, out to the balcony again.

"You aren't coming back?" He asked

"I doubt it" Chris whispered looking back at him. "I mean, I only came this time because David insisted." She said looking up at him. "I don't have a way back and forth."

Ethan stroked the faint scar on her face. "I'll miss you." He said.

Chris gulped back tears. She hadn't felt the need to cry when she was saying goodbye to David. But Ethan, she gulped. She had seen the possibility, the spark like the movie David was talking about. But she knew, this weekend, with this guy, this attractive, funny, sweet guy. Was only that, this weekend.

Ethan hugged her to him lightly, pulling her close.

"You slept with Gordon?" He asked

"Right here" She whispered.

"You wanted to?"

"It was inevitable" She echoed. "Neither of us enjoyed it"

"Why'd you do it then?"

She looked up at him. "Remember this morning. When we slept together?"

"Yeah"

"Remember that it was fun, and we laughed, that when I fell off the couch it didn't matter?"

"Yeah."

"Because everything me and David have done together has lacked that. And we needed to get something across. That pain, the fact that we were the only two people in the world who got each other. And we had to let that go. Because its not going to stick. Because I'm going to miss him. Because he won't miss me after a few weeks. We needed something so final that it wouldn't hurt so much."

Ethan nodded stroking her hair. "Yeah."

"In short, we needed to fuck it up so we wouldn't cry" She gulped resting her forehead on his chest, crying into his shirt.

Disclaimer: Me no own. I own chris though

Author's notes: Here we go, that passable for everyone as to an explanation? And yes this is very speedy. This is what reviews get you. And if you couldn't tell. this story is ending soon.


	14. Chapter 14

David leaned back against the fire escape.

"Back where we started huh?" Chris laughed stroking a new bruise on his face.

"Parting shots" David smiled as an explanation.

"He took the car." She smiled nodding to the empty space where David's car should have been.

"Ethan's gunna pick me up." He said, not able to meet Chris' eyes for the first time in their friendship.

"Oh." Chris said, pulling her hand back. "Well."

"Look, you could make it..." David dropped off looking at Chris. In the two weeks since their return she'd gotten the far worse of everything. His father had been mad, but they had fought less. Her mother had gone completely insane, she'd grabbed an electrical cord the last time she was angry at her youngest daughter. Chris was still standing uneasily, her pain easy to read in her eyes.

David could see the gap between them widening. "Ethan would get it." He whispered to his best friend. "He wouldn't be like everyone else is." The rest of the weekend had been so much lighter. Ethan camping out in the guest room with Chris, the group of them eating breakfast for every meal because they were too lazy to even order pizza.

They just talked, the heavy stuff as well as the light. David talked about what happened with his dad, Lizzie confessed to a pregnancy scare that she hadn't told anyone about, Ethan shared stories about growing up, Chris talked about her sisters pregnancy and decision to keep it and how it was ruining her family. Then after they got all that out the mood broke, and Lizzie and David were recalling stories about when they were ten, and Chris was laughing about something her and her sister did when they were young. Ethan took the cake, with his pitch perfect warbling of what a girl wants.

When Chris and David left Chris bit her lips to stop from crying. One breakdown a weekend was way more then enough for her.

And then they were back in LA.

David started going to school again, getting into practice for when he would be going every day again. Chris saw less of a point then ever, she knew she wasn't going anywhere.

And today was the last day they would have together. Surprisingly they didn't feel awkward around each other after sleeping together. And David's stuff was all packed up, now they were just waiting for Ethan.

"HEY GORDON, CHRIS! YOU GUNNA LET ME IN?" He yelled up at them. Chris laughed, moving in to David's apartment to buzz Ethan in.

A few minutes later Ethan was in the apartment, on the fire escape "You guys wanna get baked?" He asked softly, his arm around Chris' waist, not even thinking as he avoided putting pressure on her back. "Because, I am totally sick of sobriety."

Disclaimer: I own Chris.

Author's notes: Its done. Yup, that was the last chapter, no it doesn't make everything perfect, but at the same time I will say that I like the ending. But there wasn't much more to do with the story. I really think that. And its come full circle because I wrote the first chapter of this around this time last year, and like Gordo/David I got shocks of reality. So I don't know where else this could go, If you want more with David/Lizzie when he moves in, I might be able to write it. But I enjoy fucking around with David too much to make him happy. But yes, please leave a review to let me know what you thought of the whole thing! Much appreciation, Cards


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